11. Monday, July 8, 1:30 pm (NY): "The co-evolution of language and music"

Language and music are two systems of human communication, having strong similarities as well and profound differences. When, why and how did they arise during human evolution? In my lecture, I will draw on recent research in multiple disciplines to explain how they arose from a single ancient communication system that separated into two strands, one specializing in the expression of emotion and building social bones (music), the other in the transmission of information (language). Language began with iconic words and then evolved by the addition of new words types: arbitrary words, grammatical words and finally abstract words. Both music and language continue to evolve via biological and cultural transmission. Language has had the most profound impact on human society, becoming the engine of culture change especially after 150,000 years ago.